Leave me alone: AR Rahman

Post-Oscars it's not been an easy time for A R Rahman.

He returned home to a kind of hysterical fanfare that exhausted and alarmed him. Rahman has been beleaguered by a blitzkrieg of attention. He is finding it tough to cope with all the adulation. Suffering from serious fatigue the maestro has decided to go completely underground for a while.

After cancelling his work-related trip to London, Rahman has now disappeared from his home in Chennai to destinations unknown. Presumably he has surfaced in Bengaluru . But none of his close family and friends are telling his fans, admirers and the media about his whereabouts. A close friend, on condition of anonymity, spilled the beans. “All the international and national attention finally got to Rahman. He is essentially a very very shy artiste. All he cares about is God and his music, in that order. He doesn't talk about anything else. Going on stage and being the cynosure of thousands of eyes is death for him. He went into hiding with only his God and music for company.”

Inaccessible at the moment to all but his closest family members, Rahman reluctantly replied to persistent queries about his health. He said, “I am just recovering from all the exhaustion.”

The question is, how will this media-shy genius cope with all the demands on his time and attention that are bound to be

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The other side of the gate: John

Be it Om Shanti Om, or the recent Luck By Chance, the lives of those involved in Bollywood continue to fascinate the audience.

But more than the audience, it’s the bunch of people living outside the studio gates that gets to see the real Bollywood. And John Abraham is one actor who the bunch will definitely get to see. For John plays himself in UTV’s Film City. The film, to be directed by UTV biggie Deven Khote, will see a host of newcomers too.

Says Deven, “Film City is about the lives of those people who stay outside the film studios and how their lives are influenced by people from inside the industry. It will be a fun film; one of the protagonists plays a spot boy while the other plays a camera assistant. Film City is my experiences in the film industry for the last two decades.”

Won’t this be similar to Luck by Chance, we ask Deven. He is quick to say, “See, John does play himself, but we have deliberately refrained from roping in other actors, like in Luck by Chance. We didn’t see the need to do that, and so, we have fresh faces in Film City.”

Says John, “I think Film City’s a small film with big emotions. Only ideas work today.”

Reveals our source, “Deven was earlier planning a film titled Dhin Chak with Salman Khan, but the film never got made because Salman insisted on changes. It was then that Deven moved on to Film City and roped in John.”

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Knight rider: Neil Nitin Mukesh

Neil Nitin Mukesh and Mugdha Godse were in for an unpleasant experience on the first day when they were shooting for Madhur Bhandarkar's Jail.

Yesterday, Neil and Mugdha were harassed and chased by a group of youngsters while they were shooting for an intimate scene at Bandra East. Consequently, the shooting was stalled for nearly one-and-half hour.

An eyewitness said, “Mugdha and Neil were shooting an intimate scene while sitting in a stationary car. Since it was a long shot, Madhur and other unit members were standing quite far away from the car in which Neil and Mugdha were sitting. For the scene, Mugdha had put her head on Neil's chest. When the youngsters saw this, they surrounded the car and started whistling and singing songs of Fashion. Mugdha was petrified.”

Before Madhur Bhandarkar's crew could rescue Neil and Mugdha, Neil had to take immediate action. “Neil drove away when he saw the youngsters coming too close to the car,” the witness added.

To get things under control, Neil drove away all the way from the shooting site at Bandra East to Bandra Reclamation to ward-off any unpleasant incident.

After they managed to get rid of the pesky youngsters, Neil and Mugdha returned to the shooting site. Both of them were a quite shaken up after the incident and Madhur too thought it was prudent to wait for some time before resuming the shoot.

Madhur Bhandarkar confirmed the news and said, “We had a tough time. It was quite unexpected. But everything is okay now. Hopefully, we'll have a peaceful day tomorrow.”

Mugdha put up a brave front and said, “I didn't get scared. It was funny. In Fashion, I hadn't shot on the roads of Mumbai. I didn't know I'll have such an experience on the first day of shooting for Jail. Anyway, all's well that ends well.”

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Want to LOOK like Shilpa Shetty

After investing in the IPL, Shilpa Shetty’s next business venture is the Iosis Medispa for which she has collaborated with Kiran Bawa. The actress with the best body in Bollywood tells us why she wanted to start a chain of spas, how she unwinds and what makes her spa different from the rest.

Why did you start a chain of spas?
Spa stands for ‘Salva Pour Aqua’ which means healing through aqua. The reason we wanted to start a medispa because our aim is Wellness India. Today, we lead such stressed, fast-paced lives that we have no time for ourselves. There is nothing to be apologetic about if you want to feel and look beautiful - it is your right. You need the right advice. There are so many girls out there who need help. They need the right approach to cure their ailments from within. They need to focus on health and fitness. Beyond the business aspect, I really think it is important to take care of yourself and unwind no matter who you are and what you do. This is one opportunity I have opened for people as this is the way I unwind after a long day’s shoot. Iosis is my catharsis.

Why did you decide to partner with Kiran Bawa and Iosis?
I couldn’t have asked for a better person to partner with. Kiran and I have known each other for 17 years as we are family friends. She comes from a hospitality background and is trained abroad. I just went to a Chembur salon for a beautician course. We share the same passions. We come from a sound financial background. We are not doing this for money, even though today success is measured by the money you make. I need someone to look into nitty-gritties and she is the perfect person to do that. We both are 50 percent partners in the venture.

What makes your spa different from the other spas?
What makes our spa different from the other spas is that it is a medispa. It is not just about slimming and getting a facial. If you have a problem, like a shoulder ache, we will give you a massage and some therapy to go with it to solve your ailment. It is a long term process. We have trained doctors, cosmetologists, dieticians, nutritionists, dermatologists, Reiki specialists and other rejuvenation therapists to guide you to wellbeing. There are acne, laser and pigmentation treatments. There is Yoga and Power Pilates and a hydro-therapy room, all under one roof. That is the way I have wanted it as a customer, because I don’t want to run around. We have done extensive R&D to make our spa different. I can’t talk enough; you need to see it for yourself. Also, our spa is aimed at the younger generation because they are impatient and want to see results fast. Even the older generation is more than welcome to experience our services.

Do you have any membership packages?
Here people can enroll for a yearly membership program. Most spas or salons don’t have such packages. And our spa is not only for the uber-rich class. The middle-class feels spa is a luxury indulgence. We want to break that misconception. A basic clean-up facial starts at Rs.300 while a gold-caviar facial costs Rs.3000. So there is quite a range to cater to the taste of our clientele.

Do you have a special Shilpa Shetty package?
We do. Kiran tells me she got a lot of people who said they wanted to look like me and wanted a hair blow-dry like mine. So my favourite caviar facial and body massage and all my tips have been combined in a package called Shilpa Shetty’s Signature Treatment. One thing is there, you won’t walk out looking like me but they can surely get a blow dry like mine. On a lucky day, you might see me there.

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Anil Kapoor to star in super-hit thriller 24!

Riding high on the success of Slumdog Millionaire’s stupendous run at the awards, Anil Kapoor is now all set to play a key role in the popular American TV show, 24 – if all goes according to plan.

Sources report that he was approached a few days after the Oscar awards night.

“The new season of 24 begins in May and Anil will be part of that season,” the source continues.

Anil’s camp, however, chose to play safe and a close friend of his told an Indian newspaper, “The modalities are being worked out. Anil is very kicked about this offer.”

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Kangana to play a top don's girlfriend

Kangana Ranaut is all set to reprise her role as a gangster’s moll in Once Upon a Time in Mumbai.

She is slated to star as the veteran actress Madhubala who was reportedly also Haji Mastan’s love interest.

Based on the life history of the underworld don of the 1960s, Haji Mastan, the film is being produced by Ekta Kapoor’s Balaji Films and directed by Milan Luthria.

Strangely enough, Kangana was the third choice for the film. The filmmakers had initially considered Katrina Kaif and Priyanka Chopra for the role.

Ajay Devgan is also on board and will portray Haji Mastan, while Emraan Hashmi will play the young Dawood.

While there have been films in the past that have focused on Haji Mastan, like Deewar, this film will be the first to concentrate on the romantic angle between Haji Mastan and Madhubala.

Kangana had earlier played a gangster’s moll in Gangster. In that film too, Emraan Hashmi was one of her co-stars.

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Akshay Kumar film not finding distributors

Thanks to the credit crunch, Akshay Kumar starrer 8 X 10 Tasveer is not finding a buyer.

Producers Percept Picture Company are now having to release the film themselves.

In fact, due to the producers-distributors battle with exhibitors over revenue-sharing, the Producers’ Guild had decided not to release any new movies from April 3rd but have relaxed their stand as regards 8 x 10 Tasveer.

This concession has been made as the guild realised that the film has already been delayed and that, combined with the strike and upcoming IPL matches, could result in an unfair delay of the film that could spell doom for it at the box office.

Does this have something to do with the credit crunch or with the fact that Akki’s last flick tanked big time at the box office?

Another Percept film affected by the crunch is Madhur Bhandarkar’s Jail.

There were rumours that Madhur was all set to leave Percept for UTV but that is not the case. In fact, Madhur and his actors Neil Nitin Mukesh, Mugdha Godse and Manoj Bajpai have even agreed to take a pay cut as a result of the film’s budget being reduced.

Madhur said, “I am co-producing Jail with Percept Picture Company. Keeping in mind the recession, we mutually decided to cut the budget.”

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"I like being a Pinup boy" - John Abraham

John Abraham says the best thing to happen to him in 2008 was his brother's marriage. And the most unusual happening in his life in 2009 could be his first stage performance, thanks to the success of his 'Desi Girl' number in Dostana.

"My brother's marriage in Romania was beautiful. Standing there at his wedding as his best man as he took the vows with his wife in a beautiful old church I felt so content. I was never happier. And I liked being the best man. Because I'm the best. People ask me where I'm going from here. And I tell them, I'm only going to get better."

2008 was a decisive year for John. He learnt to be funny. "For the first time I was really funny, far more so than my previous comedy Garam Masala. I'd say there was a 500 percent jump between Dostana and Garam Masala. I was completely clueless about comic timing in Garam Masala. I knew I needed to do let myself go to do comedy convincingly. In real life, I'm very funny. I needed to put some of that across on screen. Why do I have to be so serious on screen all the time? I decided to get seriously funny in Dostana."

John still remembers the moment when he discovered he could be funny. "I was doing a scene when everyone clapped. That was the first time I realized I was really funny on screen. Now when I go to events people start giggling the minute I enter. That's the best gift I've received in 2008. The gift to make people laugh. It's just so beautiful. The other day I was at my doctor's. The assistant kept looking at me and giggling so much that she had to leave the room. That really tickled me pink. I found that really cute."

There's no marriage yet with Bipasha. "And neither are we willing to speak that openly about our relationship," says John. "No more PDA…public display of affection. We've reached a stage in our relationship where we don't need to flaunt our relationship nor talk about it with others or with each other. We're gone beyond that."

And what about his other successful jodi with Abhishek Bachchan? John grins, "Our marriage depends on Ash and Bipasha. Jokes apart, Abhishek and I are not at all insecure about one another's camera presence. I'd love to team up with him again for Dostana Returns. Everyone feels our jodi shouldn't end. People haven't seen male bonding like ours in years." John is happy being Bollywood's no.1 Pinup boy. "I wasn't seen as cheesy. I like being a Pinup boy. God has given me the opportunity to be there. I should respect that. I owe my physique to my parents' wonderful genes."

John says the secret to his 'sexy' tag is his comfort level. "I'm myself wherever I go, whatever I wear. A lot of us have a benchmark for how well-toned we must be. I had a very high benchmark. I'm a leader, not a follower. Not that I am always seeing sunshine up my backside. But I'm very individualistic."

John realizes being an example for the young is a huge social responsibility. "Karan Johar explained what he wanted from me in Dostana. He said I needed a beach body. I didn't need to look like a body builder. I think my physique is achievable. I follow a strict diet. I eat very carefully. But when I go out, I don't create a scene if the food is not cooked in olive oil. I do have normal food. And I binge on special occasions like Christmas and birthdays."

Going to the gym is a must. "It is a part of my daily routine. I work really hard at the gym. I understand my body very well. I know what to do with it to make it respond. I follow a strict gym regimen and a diet. But I believe I'm not just a body."

Regarding the risk of his followers taking short cuts to get John Abraham's body, the stars says, "The use of unnatural substances is just not done to get a body. It leads to hair loss, high blood pressure, mood swings, loss of libido and enlarged glands. Stay away from short cuts."

As a brand ambassador, John has his hands full. "I've a whole array of brands that have stayed with me through thick and thin. I love my association with them and they believe in me regardless of my success quotient. I believe an actor has to be exclusive in his acting assignments, events attended and endorsements."

One thing John still won't do is perform on stage. "I've a strong resistance to stage performances. Forget about dancing at weddings birthdays and functions, I don't even want to go on stage. But now that I've such great songs to perform to it might change. If I could dance the way I did in 'Desi Girl' I think I'm ready for the stage."

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